Coaster wagon



March 31, 1936. A, c KQRTE' 2fi36fl49 COASTER WAGON Filed Feb. 27, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet l AL/IQED 6" K0872" INVENTOR A TTORNE Y March 31, 1936.. A. c. IKORTE 2 GOASTER WAGON Filed Feb. 27, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR A TTOR NE Y mm R A w mm @m w March 3L R935.

Filed Feb. 27, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR m w a m M 4 r WV / ATTORNEY atented Mar. 31, 1936 OFFICE.

UOAS'JIFFR WAGUN Alfred C. Korte, St. lllouis, Ma, assignoito Metalcraft lCorporation, St. lLouis, Mona corporation of Missouri Application February 27, 1933, Serial No. 658,849

201* @laimns.

This invention relates to improvements in coaster wagons, and one of its objects is to produce a generally new and improved wagon struc ture.

A further object is to produce a childs coaster wagon of stream line formation, so that the wind resistance will be reduced in coasting, and also to substantially improve the general appearance of the vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to produce a childs coaster wagon having as much as possible of the wheel enclosed by a guard to prevent soiling and tearing the childs clothing by contact with the rotating wheels and tires.

A further object of the invention is to produce a child's coaster wagon of lighter weight and greater strength than provided by previous constructions.

Another object of the invention is to produce a childs coaster wagon having a headlight of new and improved construction.

Another object of the invention is to produce a childs coaster wagon which may be shipped knocked down and assembled at its destination without the use of any bolts, nuts or small parts which are likely to become lost in shipment.

Another object of the invention is to produce a childs coaster wagon without the use of any bolts or nuts which might become lost in shipment or loose in service.

The invention will be better understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, referring to which:

Figure l is a front end view of the wagon with the tongue raised to show the manner in which the headlight beam passes thru the hole in the tongue.

Figure 2 is a perspective view taken from the rear and side of the wagon.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the wagon.

Figure 4 is an end view of the wagon with some parts removed and others shown in section.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view showing one of the front wheels and its housing, or guard.

Figure 6 is an inverted plan of the front end of the wagon with some parts shown in section.

Figure 7 is a vertical cross section thru the wagon at the center of the rear wheels looking toward the rear, the axle, however, being shown in full.

Figure 8 shows the cover plate for the end of the axle.

(lDl. 2%0-1) Figure 9 is a cross sectional view thru the cover plate shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the tongue and hounds with a portion of the front axle.

Figure 11 is a cross sectional view taken along 5 the lines l ll l of Figure 10 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the lines l2-l2 of Figure 10, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 13 shows the battery assembly and retaining spring.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the headlight assembly.

Figure 15 is a detail view showing the insulatl5 ing washer with the headlight assembly.

Figure 16 is a side view of the washer shown in Figure 15.

Figure 17 is a detail view showing the headlight control switch.

Figure 18 is a side view of the device shown in Figure 17.

Figure 19 is a detailed view taken from the rear of the headlight assembly as indicated along the line ill-49 of Figure 14, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The reference numeral l indicates a sheet metal bed portion which is surrounded by an inner wall, the upper portion of which is curved outwardly and downwardly to form an outer wall t. It will be noted that the bed is not of great depth because the child usually sits in the bed of the wagon when coasting and too much depth .is undesirable. However, great strength is imparted to the structure by the fact that the outer wall 3 is extended downwardly below the bot tom of the bed. This inverted U-shaped construction for the outer wall of the bed imparts the greatest strength to the structure and enables me to use the comparatively light #20 gauge metal which can be obtained cheaply in large quantities, where with a single walled construction a much heavier metal or some reinforcing structure would have to be used.

The rear end of the body is supported by rear axle 4, the central portion of this axle being of inverted U-shaped formation as indicated at 5 and having outwardly turned flanges 6 which are attached to the bed i by spot-welding if desired, but I prefer to use the bendable lugs l5, struck out of the bed as shown in Figure 3, or any other suitable means. The central portion of the rear axle being attached to the bottom of the bed, that portion of each end of the axle adjacentv the central portion is turned downwardly and outwardly as indicated at and each end of the axle is provided with a cylindrical bearing portion 8. The diameter of this bearing portion is slightly reduced so as to form a shoulder at 9 to limit the inward movement of the wheel on the bearing portion. The bearing portion has rotatably mounted thereon a wheel I!) which may be of any suitable construction. Each of the axles, both front and rear have their ends formed into a castellated portion H, the projections of which are adapted to pass thru corresponding slots l2 in the wheel guards.

The rear wheel guard l3 has an inturned upper edge so shaped that it is adapted to conform to a corresponding flange l4 at the lower edge of the outer wall portion 3. The wheel guard I3 is welded to the member 3 along the flange or seam [4 after the assembly of the wheel III to the axle, thru permanently preventing the removal of the wheel from the axle unless the axle is first disassembled from the bed. This, however, is not objectionable in view of the use to which the wagon is to be put; on the other hand it is a very distinct advantage because there are no nuts, pins or screws to be lost during the use of the wagon.

In case of emergency the rear wheels may be removed as follows: The lugs l5 may be straightened out so as to release the rear axle from the bed and the lugs may be straightened out so as to permit the wheel guard |3 to be sprung off of the end of the rear axle. The U-shaped formation of the side walls of the wagon bed perinit the necessary amount of spring action so that this can be done without permanent deformation of any of the parts.

It will :be noted that the rear wheel guards l8 are. formed with indentations IS, the bottoms of .which are provided with openings l2, to receive the projections H, and the front wheel guards are constructed in the same way.

The cover plate or medallion having suitable lugs I8 is provided for each of the front and rear wheel guards to cover the indentation I6 and projections The lugs |8 are only slightly bent.

so that the medallion may be removed by inserting a sharp edged instrument between it and the wheel guard. The edge of the rear Wall 3 preferably extends straight across the back end of the wagon, joining the rear end of the rear wheel guard l3 and being curled under as indicated in i9, thus making a very strong and neat construction.

The central part 28 of the front axle is made of substantially oval shape as shown in Figure 12. The axle is formed of sheet metal, thereby making a construction of very neat appearance and which presents very little wind resistance. The end portions are provided with wheel bearings 8, the same as the rear axle.

The upper central portion of the front axle is perforated to receive the king pin 2 I, the downwardly projecting portion of the battery housing 22 and the downturned flange on the hound 23. The lower central part of the front axle is closed by a bottom plate 24 which is held in position by turning over the lower edges of the axle as indicated at 25. The strength of the construction may also be increased by spotwelding the bottom plate of the axle if desired. The king pin is of hollow cylindrical formation with flanges 26 at its upper end and lower end.

The hound 23 is provided with a forwardly extending arm terminating in a bearing portion 28 to which the tongue 38 is pivotally attached by means of the bearing 29. The tongue is provided with a handle 3| and a rubber bumper 32 is fitted into a suitable hole in the sheet metal tongue to prevent scratching the paint by contact between the tongue and the wagon bed. The tongue is formed in two pieces of sheet metal with a comparatively large hole 33 as indicated in Figures 3 and 10 so that when the tongue is raised the headlight 49 may shine thru the hole, otherwise the headlight would be useless when the tongue was in the raised position.

The battery housing 22 is formed as indicated in Figures 3 and 6, having flanges 35 which are attached to the bed by means of spot-welding. The shape and size of the rear portion of the housing 22 is such that a pair of flashlight batteries 36 can conveniently be held in position between it and the bed I. The rear end of the battery housing is provided with notches or hooks 31 adapted to receive the retaining spring 38, which yieldably holds the batteries in position, and urges them forwardly against the base of the bulb 38, which is carried in the reflector 39, as indicated in Figure 14.

The front wall of the body of the wagon is provided with an opening 40. A sheet metal retaining device 4| is detachably held within the opening 48 by means of the detents or lugs 42. A substantially annular switch member 43 made of sheet metal and having a projecting handle 44 which projects thru a cutout portion 45 in the member 4| is provided. Member 43 is provided with a slot 46, the edges of which are adapted to clear the projection 41 on the reflector 39. The member 43 is also provided with an upturned portion 5| adapted to fit into a corresponding slot 52 in the insulator 48 and act as a key so as to force the insulator to turn with the member 43. The insulator is located between the metal switch member 44 and the reflector 39 so that member 43 is not at any time in contact with the reflector. The reflector is insulated from the body of the wagon by means of the insulator 48 on the one side and the glass lens 49 on the other, which lens is held in position by a conventional spring wire 58 and lugs (not shown) turned up from the member 4|. It will be noted that the insulator 48 is provided with a notch 53 into which the projection 41 of the reflector is adapted to fit. It will also be noted that the member 4| is provided with a key portion 65 adapted to fit into a cut-out portion in the rim of the reflector, to cause the reflector to rotate with the insulator 48 and the switch 43. From the above description it will be obvious that by movement of the handle 44, the reflector may be turned into a position where it will contact the cam surface 55 of the cut-out portion 54 in the retainer 4|, thereby grounding it to the body of the wagon and turning on the light, or it may be turned to the position shown in Figure 19, in which the reflector is insulated so that the light is turned off.

The front wheel guards are preferably made in two pieces comprising an outer portion 61 and an inner portion 68. These pieces are made of sheet metal and are welded together along the seam 69 as indicated in Figures 4, 5 and 6. The inner member 68 has a substantially egg-shaped opening 10 to conform to the non-circular contour of the central portion 20 of the front axle, a raised portion H is preferably formed on the front axle to limit the inward movement of the wheel guard.

In assembly the wheel is placed inside the wheel ,ose, mo

guard and both are put on the front axle together with the projections l l extending thru the corresponding openings 02 in the member i'l and the inner edge It f the wheel guard resting against the raised portion l l. The projections l l are then bent over to hold the assembly in place and the medallion or cover plate III is placed in position. By the use of this arrangement it is obvious that no nuts, screws or bolts are necessary in the assembly of the wheels and front wheel guards to the axle.

The hound 23 is held in position by the king pin III but to give added strength to the construction a pair of lugs it are formed integral with the hound to extend downwardly thru the bottom plate M as indicated in Figure 12. In assembly it is only necessary to bend over the lugs l2 and no screws or bolts are necessary.

I claim:

1. A body for childrens coaster wagons having a surrounding wall of substantial thickness, said wall being formed of sheet metal and being of substantially inverted U-shaped section, the major portion of the outer wall extending downwardly at least as far as does the inner wall.

2. A body for childrens coaster wagons having a surrounding wall of substantial thickness, said wall being formed of sheet metal and being of substantially inverted U-shaped section, the major portion of the outer leg of the wall extending to a point below the termination of the inner leg.

3. A body for a childs coaster wagon comprising a sheet metal bed portion, said bed portion being surrounded by a sheet metal wall of inverted U-shaped section, an axle having a raised central portion supporting one end of said bed, wheels carried on the ends of said axle and connections between the outer ends of said axle and the outer leg of said U-shaped portion.

4. In a childs coaster wagon, a sheet metal bed portion having surrounding sides of inverted U- shaped section, an axle, wheels on said axle, means for connecting the central portion of said axle to said bed portion, wheel guards outside of said wheels, the outer edges of said wheel guards being attached to the outer portions of the sides,

and means for attaching the outer ends of said axle to said wheel guards.

5. In a childs coaster wagon, a stream lined sheet metal body comprising a bed, an upwardly extending wall surrounding said bed, a down wardly extending outer portion surrounding said wall, an axle attached to said bed, a wheel on said axle, a stream lined wheel guard outside of said wheel, said wheel guard and said downwardly extending outer portion being constructed and arranged to fit together, an opening in the central portion of said wheel guard adapted to register with a portion of said axle, means for attaching said axle to said wheel guard at said opening, and a cover plate for said opening.

6. In a childs coaster wagon, a stream lined sheet metal body comprising a bed, an upwardly extending wall surrounding said bed, a downwardly extending outer portion surrounding said wall, an axle attached to said bed, a wheel on said axle, a stream lined wheel guard outside of said wheel, said wheel guard and said downwardly extending outer portion being constructed and arranged to fit together, an opening in the central portion of said wheel guard adapted to register with a portion of said axle, and means for attaching said axle to said wheel guard at said opening.

7. In a childs coaster wagon, a body formed from a single sheet of metal and comprising a depressed central portion forming a bed, up wardly extending walls surrounding at least the sides and forward portion of said bed and a downwardly extending portion of substantial depth surrounding said walls, said downwardly extending portion being tapered substantially outwardly as it extends downwardly.

8. A body for childrens coaster wagons having a surrounding wall of substantial thickness, said wall being formed of sheet metal and being of substantially inverted lJ-shaped sections, the outer leg of the U being longer than the inner leg, and an axle having one end attached to the outer leg of the wall at each side of the Wagon.

9. In a child's vehicle, a body formed from sheet metal and comprising a central portion forming a bed, upwardly extending walls surrounding said bed, a downwardly extending portion of substantial depth surrounding said walls, an axle supporting one end of said bed, wheels carried by said axle, and wheel guards outside of said wheels, said wheel guards having edges in contact with said downwardly extending portion.

10. In a childs vehicle, a body formed from sheet metal and comprising a central portion forming a bed, upwardly extending walls sur rounding said bed, a downwardly extending portion of substantial depth surrounding said walls, at least a part of said downwardly extending portion extending toa point below the bottom of the bed portion, an axle supporting one end of said bed, wheels carried by said axle, wheel guards mounted outside of said wheels, said wheel guards having openings, said wheel guards being attached to the ends of the axle at said openings.

11. In a childs vehicle, a body having a surrounding wall of substantial thickness, said wall being formed of sheet metal and having spaced inner and outer sides joined together at the top, and. an axle, said axle being connected to the outer side of the wall.

12. In a. childs vehicle, a body having a surrounding wall of substantial thickness, said wall being formed of sheet metal and having spaced inner and outer sides joined together at the top, the outer side of the wall having a portion extending to a point below the termination of the inner side, an axle for said vehicle, said axle being connected in supporting relation to the outer side of the wall.

13. In a device of the class described, a sheet metal body comprising a depressed central portion forming a bed, upwardly extending walls surrounding said bed, downwardly extending portions of substantial depth surrounding said walls, an axle for supporting said bed, said axle being connected in supporting relation to the depressed portion of said bed and also to the lower edge of said downwardly extending portion.

14. In a. childs vehicle, a transverse load carrying member, an axle, wheels mounted on said axle, sheet metal wheel guards mounted outside of said wheels and attached to the ends of said axle, said wheel guards having inturned edges which extend downwardly at the front and rear of the upper sides of said wheels, and means for connecting the inturned edges with the transverse member.

15. In a childs vehicle, a load carrying memher, an axle supporting said load carrying member, wheels mounted on said axle, wheel guards attached to said axle outside of and substantially enclosing the upper parts of said wheels, said wheel guards having inwardly turned rims, and means attached to said load carrying member for supporting said rims.

16. In a childs vehicle, a body formed from sheet metal and comprising a depressed central portion forming a bed, upwardly extending inner walls surrounding said bed, downwardly extending outer walls surrounding said inner walls, wheel guards forming a continuation of said downwardly extending outer walls, an axle, wheels carried by said axle inside of said wheel guards, and means for detachably connecting said wheel guards to said axle.

17. In a childs coaster wagon, means forming a bed, a rear axle, wheels mounted near the ends of said rear axle, load carrying wheel guards attached to the outer ends of said axle, said bed being mounted on the central portion of said axle, said wheel guards having an inturned edge, said bed having a sheet metal member having edges conforming to the edges of said wheel guards and attached thereto, said sheet metal member being connected to said bed.

} 18. In a childs coaster wagon, a body formed from sheet metal and comprising a depressed central portion forming a bed, upwardly extending inner walls at the sides and front of said bed, and downwardly extending outer walls of substantial depth at the sides and front of said bed, at least a portion of said walls extending outwardly beyond the road wheels, the lower edges of the outer walls extending downwardly at least substantially to the general level of the depressed central portion.

19. In a childs vehicle, a load carrying structure including a body and an axle, wheels mounted at each end of said axle, wheel guards forming a part of said load carrying structure, said wheel guards being mounted outside of and substantially enclosing the upper halves of said wheels, and openings in said wheel guards to receive the ends of said axle in mutually supporting relation.

20. In a childs vehicle, a sheet metal body, an axle, road wheels mounted on said axle, and wheel guards mounted on the axle outside of said wheels, the forward and'rearward portions of said wheel guards being curved inwardly and downwardly to substantially cover the upper halves of said wheels, and the upper edges of said wheel guards merging into and forming continuations of the sides of the body.

ALFRED C. KORTE. 

